10 HONEST THINGS ABOUT ME +

HAPPY FRIDAY, GORGEOUS!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful, productive and fulfilling week!

HippieMom at the Raw Journal was gracious enough to nominate me for the Honest Scrap Award. Thanks Sweetie!!

The rules to receiving this award are as follows:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Present this award to others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
3. Tell those people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP, inform them of these guidelines.
4. Share "Ten Honest things" about yourself.

10 HONEST THINGS ABOUT MYSELF

1. I have to have all of my cash laying in the same direction, in sequential order. It drives me nuts to have a cashier, teller, or ATM machine hand them to me in opposite directions.

2. I recently (as in the past 2 years) developed an anxiety of driving over really tall (and sometimes somewhat tall) bridges & overpasses. I have been known to go a different route just to avoid a tall bridge. Really. I am working on this.

3. I'm a fan of anime'.

4. I've gone snorkeling with sting rays. It was such a thrilling and exciting time that I'll always remember.

5. Every time I'm in Whole Foods, I have to get a vegan double chocolate chip cookie. I may need a 12 Step program for this. Don't judge me. ;)

6. I actually cried at the end of a Dracula movie...while on a date. I was so embarrassed.

7. I used to have a ridiculous crush on Bobby Brown. Don't play. I know I'm not alone.

8. I abhor the sight,smell & taste of mayonnaise. Always have. Always will.

9. When I was a preteen, I used to down 3 Quarter Pounders w/cheese, a large fry and a soda in one sitting. ...These days, I loathe the sight of a McDonald's.

10. Okay. I admit it. I do enjoy most of the Black Eyed Peas songs. They get me movin'. And I often find myself singing one. Don't play. I know I'm not alone.

TAG! YOU'RE IT!
Au Naturale
BreaKINK New Ground
Chica Con Los Rizos Bonitos
...Weird Crayon In a World Sized Box of Crayolas
Miss Moon's Musings
Elan Tresses
For Colored Gurls
**And yes, I'm interested in reading your "honest things" so I will be checking in. Lol. Some of you have escaped this particular tag. That's okay. I'll catch you next time. =)

Shout out to Execumama and Naturi Beauty! It was really great meeting you two along with everyone else. I had an awesome time with you all at the speed networking event hosted by Face Forward. Awesome event!! Can't wait for the next one!

Have a wonderful weekend! And as always, "Do you."
{{HUGS}},
CO

Post Title → 10 HONEST THINGS ABOUT ME +

$124.95 IF YOU PLEASE....

Hi Beautifuls!

I was so side-tracked w/the delivery of the current Barbie Collector catalog (Yes, I receive them. Lol.) that my intended post will be done later. Granted my days of playing with Barbie dolls have long since gone, I still love to admire the details and the high fashion of the Collector Editions. Goodness! Wish I could have a collection of my own. And of course, the fact that these dolls are beautiful creations that look like me, well.. sort of but you know what I mean (which is still not that common a sight) makes me want them even more. The designer of all of the dolls shown here is Mr. Byron Lars.

Let's take a looksie at a few of my favorites....

"Sugar"

"Pepper"

"Tatu" from the Treasures of Africa collection

"Nne" from the Treasures of Africa collection

And "Ayako Jones" is this fierce barbie at the top. Iwanther! Iwanther! Iwanther!

So $124.95 if you please. I'll take cash, check or money order. Or you could just send me the doll.

Lol.

Post Title → $124.95 IF YOU PLEASE....

HAPPY FRIDAY

...had a dream that Adam Rodriguez was trying to "court" me.....


...*sighs*......


....nuf said....

HAPPY FRIDAY.

Post Title → HAPPY FRIDAY

HAPPY FRIDAY & HAPPY WINNINGS

Happy Friday to all you wonderful people!!

You all deserve a cocktail, apple cider, beer, glass of wine, lemon water or whatever your drink of choice may be. I hope that you had a wonderful week and have an even better weekend planned. I have quite a few things on my list for every day this weekend. Then to top it off, I'm going to see my other man (tehehehe), Maxwell on Monday.

Anyhoo, the winner of the Herb Giveaway is the lovely Laquita of All Naptural per the Random Number Generator. Ms. Laquita, if you could be so kind as to email me the address that you want your winnings to be sent to, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks again to all who participated! You all have some wonderful ideas!! I may incorporate or try a few of them. I had fun. I hope to do another giveaway in the near future - maybe after the new year.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, fun-filled, full of love weekend.

Peace and blessings,
ChocolateOrchid

Post Title → HAPPY FRIDAY & HAPPY WINNINGS

TGIF & A GIVEAWAY!!

HAPPY FRIDAY, BEAUTIFULS!!

I hope that you all have had a wonderful week and have an even better weekend planned, whatever it may include. I was so happy when I got home to see that my package from Moutain Rose Herbs had arrived. Wanna know what all was in it?....

Well, here goes:
1. Some Press & Brew tea bags
2. Herbs: Coltsfoot, Rosemary Leaf, Peppermint Leaf, Nettle Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Rosehips
3. Teas: Vita Blend, Blossoms of Health, Hisbiscus High, Honeybush Tea, Firefly Chai, Red Rooibos Tea
4. Essential Oils: Eucalyptus, Chamomile (German), Red Thyme, Rosemary, Geranium, Hyssop, Lemon, Peppermint

Yes, it was a big box full of goodies. So full of goodies that I discovered I ordered two 8 oz bags of Rosemary leaf. No, that was not a misprint above.
Sooooo... Seeing as my one year blogiversary is this Sunday, Sept. 27th (Woo hoo!!) and there is absolutely nothing I’d like more than sharing the love. I will be doing another giveaway.

The winner will receive the following:

8 oz bag of Rosemary leaf
4 oz bag of Hisbiscus Flowers
4 oz bag of Hisbiscus Flower Powder

All organic. All from Mountain Rose Herbs. These herbs can be used in foods, teas, hair products, etc. You can find some info. on these particular herbs here and here.

The guidelines for this giveaway are as follows:

1. You have to be a follower or subscriber. In the comment section of this blog post, please specify which one you are.

2. You must leave a comment in the comment section of this particular post.

3. Share how you plan to use these particular herbs. You never know. You may inspire someone to try something new and/or different.

4. All comments must be in by next Thursday, Oct, 1st. No later than 8pm, EST.

I will use the random number generator to pick the winner and will announce your name in next Friday’s post. So be sure to check back!
I wish each and every one of you the best!

Have an awesome weekend! Do something good for yourself. Do something kind for someone else. And as always, “Do you.”


Peace, blessings and much luv,
ChocolateOrchid

Post Title → TGIF & A GIVEAWAY!!

AND THE WINNER IS......

......Brandiss from Brandissology and Undefined Kinks Redefined. You've won an 8oz bag of Navitas Naturals Chia Seeds along w/recipe cards.

Thanks to all those who participated in this giveaway. This was fun. I hope to do a few more.

Congrats again to Brandiss!!

Post Title → AND THE WINNER IS......

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, I SHOULDN'T HAVE....

Hi Beautifuls!

I miss yooooooouu.... Have to get a new laptop (So excited about it!) and that should be done by Thursday so that I can be back on top of my blogging game by next week.

In the meantime, I'd like to have some fun. For the randomly picked person who can correctly complete the line in this blog title, "It's been a long time, I shouldn't have __ __. _ _ _ _ _ _ _.", I'd love to give away some Navitas Naturals Chia Seeds. Along w/this bag of Chia, you will receive a few recipe cards and maybe a little somethin' extra. =)

If you need a refresher or missed my post on Chia, click here.
Also, be sure to leave your email address in the comment after you've completed the line so that I'll be able to contact you for your winnings.

This giveaway will be open until noon (Eastern time) on this Friday, Sept. 18th.

Smooches,
ChocolateOrchid

Post Title → IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, I SHOULDN'T HAVE....

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Hi Beautifuls!

Hope you're having a wonderful day. It's raining like a monsoon season here in the "A". How's the weather where you are?

This past week marks my 2 year anniversary of being "au naturale". Whoo hoo!! I've had my good & bad hair days and let me tell you, I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm still lovin', diggin', feelin' my hair. Definitely still learning and it's still all good.

Here are a few pics of my journey from beginning (Aug. '07) to this present.
Enjoy!





















I hope that you all have a wonderful day and weekend. Get out and do something for yourself. See your city like you've never seen it before. Try something new or different. Live life and live it to the fullest.
And as always, "Do you."

Peace,
CO

Post Title → HAPPY FRIDAY!!

IT'S FRIDAY FUNNIES!!

Happy Friday to all of you fabulous people!!

I trust that you plan on making this one of your best days! ;)
I just had to share with you a Friday funny video. Let me just go on and tell you that I love me some B. Scott. I first found out about him through fab chica, Urbancurlz (who I hope to see at the Atlanta Natural Hair meetup that Lexiwiththecurls is heading up. Hint. Hint.).

Anyhoo, I have mad love for anyone who feels totally comfortable and free to be who they are. That's a rarity and a struggle for many folks. Although I've come a long way, I must admit that I still have my moments. For me, B. represents total self-acceptance and self-love. I think that those are two underrated commodities amongst people.

Well...I'm gonna stop typing and let you all enjoy his video...
"BUTT NAKED NOTHING BUT PEARLS"




Have a wonderful weekend! And as always, "Do You".
Luv Ya,
CO

Post Title → IT'S FRIDAY FUNNIES!!

HAPPY FAB FRIDAY!!!

Hi Lovelies!

It's Friday and today I'll be continuing the fun with another tag post. Fab chica Chai from Back To Curly tagged me for Ten Things About Me.

So here goes:

1. I can be an extremist about things I get into. Although, I can say that I've learned to take things in stride, I do have to catch myself at times.

2. I was overweight as a kid. At 12, I could down 4 qtr pounders w/cheese, large fry and a soda. Eww. (I shudder every time I pass a McDonald's.)

3. I love to watch anime', sci-fi/fantasy or a good martial arts film.

4. I have to fight my tendency to procrastinate.

5. I hate to be around a "Debbie-downer" or victim-mentality.

6. I have a 13 yr old daughter. (Pray for me.)

7. I ran my first race this year. (Atlanta Peachtree Road Race - Yay me!)

8. I'm working on having me a small garden. Very small..patio garden. Lol.

9. I'm a slight fashionista who loves artsy stuff.

10. I am so happy that I took the plunge to begin blogging. I never expected to meet so many wonderful and cool people.

Luv all of you fabulous folks!
Have a wonderful weekend!
CO

Post Title → HAPPY FAB FRIDAY!!!

MY LIFE ACCORDING TO.......

Hola Beautiful Ones!

I was tagged (about a week ago) to do this by the wonderful Gem at Gemini Life. Yes, I've been a bit slow. Well, really preoccupied but here goes.

Instructions: Using only song titles from ONE ARTIST OR BAND, answer these questions. Pass it on to 12 people and include me. You can't use the artist or band I used. Do not repeat a song title. Repost as "My Life According to (ARTIST OR BAND NAME)"


Pick Your Artist: Maxwell
Are you a male or female?: I'm You:You Are Me and We Are You

Describe yourself: Changed

How do you feel: Whenever Wherever Whatever

Describe where you currently live: The Urban Theme

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Submerge: Til We Become The Sun

Your favorite form of transportation: Ascension

Your best friend is: Sumthin' Sumthin'

Your favorite color is: Arroz Con Pollo

What's the weather like: Changed

Favorite time of the day: Temporary Nite

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: EachHourEachSecondEachMinuteEachDay: Of My Life (double Ha!)

What is life to you: Everwanting: To Want You To Want

Your relationships: For Lovers Only
Your fear: Lonely's The Only Company

What is the best advice you have to give: Lifetime

If you could change your name, you would change it to: Noone

Thought for the Day: Fortunate

How I would like to die: Now/At The Party

My soul's present condition: This Woman's Work

My Motto: Get To Know Ya


If you decide to do this, let me know. I'd love to read who your artist of choice is and your answers.


Have an awesome day, Lovelies!
Be sure to enjoy it, embrace it and "do you"!
I'll be back tomorrow w/another Tag posting.
Smooches...

Post Title → MY LIFE ACCORDING TO.......

SHIMMY SHIMMY

Hi Beautifuls!

I hope that this week is going well for you. I recently had to rededicate myself to a consistent workout plan. This time I'm being sure to vary my workouts to keep them interesting and fun. Along w/my beloved yoga, aerobics and a little bit of jogging, I've added belly dancing. SO EXCITED!! I actually joined a gym close to my home that offers belly dancing as one of its many classes. So of course, the day I joined I went to the class. I have to say that it was awesome! I honestly did not expect to break a sweat but I DID! It was fun, challenging and yes, sensual once I got into some of the moves. It was just as fun as a pole dancing class I took. (Whole 'notha post. Lol.)

Here's a little info on this form of dance that you may find interesting.

The origins of belly dancing, though unclear, can be traced to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Africa. In fact, in the Arabic language, the term belly dancing is Raqs Sharqi and in Turkish, it is Oryantal dansi. The Turkish term Oryantal dansi can be roughly translated to mean "exotic oriental dance" and the Arabic term Raqs Sharqi is claimed to be of Egyptian origins. Because these terms suggested an exotic dance that originated elsewhere, the art of belly dance was held in higher esteem than local dances.

Historical evidence shows Egyptian tomb paintings dating from as far back as the fourteenth century BC that depict partially clad dancers whose callisthenic positions appear to be very similar to those used in belly dancing. Belly Dancing also has been depicted in Persian miniature paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries.

The dance form we call "belly dancing" is derived from traditional women's dances of the Middle East and North Africa. Women have always belly danced, at parties, at family gatherings, and during rites of passage. A woman's social dancing eventually evolved into belly dancing as entertainment ("Dans Oryantal" in Turkish and "Raqs Sharqi" in Arabic). Although the history of belly dancing is murky prior to the late 1800s, many experts believe its roots go back to the temple rites of India. Probably the greatest misconception about belly dance is that it is intended to entertain men. This mistaken belief was due largely to the popularized connotation between belly dancing and exotic harems due largely to the Romanticism movement in the 18th and 19th century as artists depicted their interpretation of harem life of the Ottoman Empire. In reality, because segregation of the sexes was common in the part of the world that produced belly dancing, men often were not allowed to be present. In fact, belly dancing was never intended to be seen by men at all.

That belly dance developed from social dancing helps explain its long lasting popularity. Belly dancing offers women a community of friends that share and celebrate joy in music, and creates self-confidence through artistic self-expression, in an art form that embraces all body types. The belly dance is natural to a woman's bone and muscle structure. It is uniquely designed for the female body, with an emphasis on abdominal muscles, hip moves, and chest moves. It is firm and earthy, traditionally with bare feet connected to the ground. It is a dance characterized by smooth, flowing, complex, and sensual movements of the torso, alternated with shaking and shimmy type moves. The movements center on the torso rather than the legs and feet, as is common in Western dance. The belly dancer isolates parts of her body, to move each independently in a completely feminine interpretation of the music. The music seems to emanate from her body, as sometimes she emphasizes the rhythm, sometimes the melody of the song. Bellydance is often performed barefoot, now thought by many to signify the intimate and ancient physical connection between the dancer, the music, and Mother Earth, although historically, most dancers were barefoot because they could not afford shoes.

Belly dance was introduced to America when a dancer known as Little Egypt performed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Americans were fascinated (and scandalized!) by the freedom and rhythms of the dance and the music, and thus began a fascination with the "exotic Orient." Early Hollywood fell in love with the dancing girls and created glamorous flowing costumes based as much on Leon Bakst's fantasies as on garments of the Middle East. Dancers in the Middle East, who were developing belly dance in its native lands, adopted these colorful interpretations.

There are various forms of belly dancing, including Turkish, Egyptian Oriental, and American Tribal.

**Resources for the above information are Wellesley.edu and Bellydance.org**

ChocolateOrchid ;)

Post Title → SHIMMY SHIMMY

MY CURRENT HAIR OBSESSION

Hi Beautifuls!

Hope that you all are doing well. I think that I have pretty much recovered from my participation in the Peachtree Road Race. I didn't realize how hard running/jogging/walking on concrete can be on your body. But I did finish. So I'm very happy about that.

Wanted to share some great information that Anita Grant posted on twitter.

Before swimming, to slow down chlorine absorption get some Club Soda & rinse your hair before & after your swim - regardless of your hair type.
Why? Chlorine in pools forms a copper-rich bleach. Club soda neutralizes this bleach, washes it out of your hair before it goes greenish & brittle.
Avoid products that have metallic salts this mixed w/the Chlorine may disturb natural oil (sebum) production of the scalp & may lead to instant dryness, itchy scalp & coarse split ends.

I definitely would like to give the Club Soda a try. Sounds interesting. I honestly have not done an ACV rinse in ages. Why?.. I have no idea. Just hadn't. But I will say that I am open to it revisiting it. If you do the ACV rinse or even Club Soda rinse, please share how and how often you do so.

Right now, I'm feelin' the fro so I may attempt to let my current twist-out develope into one. I keep seeing posts on it on different hair sites and blogs. Urbancurlz recently posted a youtube video (vlogger Shira) on her blog and said she had great success with her rendition of it. Check her post out here.

I'll be going on a Girls Nite Out soon, so I'm strongly considering wearing my hair in a fly azz fro that nite. Here are some pics I found that are helping to feed my fro envy.








**last photo of Zoila taken by Jackie Weisberg from Flickr**
The mousepad is by mykajenlina and can be found at Zazzle.com.

Have a great day, Beautifuls! And don't forget to "do you".
ChocolateOrchid ;)

Post Title → MY CURRENT HAIR OBSESSION

"MY MILKSHAKE BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD"

**disclaimer: If you are sensitive, easily offended, have kids around or at work you may want to skip this post due to a photo included.**

I may or may not have mentioned this before, but I am fascinated with tattoos. Yes, I do plan on getting inked. Thirties or not, it’s goin’ down. Lol. And I know I’m in good company b/c I’ve talked about this with a few friends who are around my age and older who want a tatt, also. This has been in the making for awhile but, much like my dance was with going natural, I’ve been a little chicken about it. At this point, I’m beyond that. I’ve even called around for prices. Uhh, those things ain’t cheap, are they?... Anyhoo, when I do go for it (within the next 12 months), I’ll definitely post about it. I’m sure it will be an experience.



The above photo of singer Kelis ( and yes, I miss her big hair) shows a much better view of her back tattoo. This is my inspiration. Mine will be a fraction of this size. Much much much smaller and hidden. I so love this work of art. I would love to know the artist who did this. I used to want a tiger but now I’m leaning more towards the lotus flower.
Note. The Lotus flower basically symbolizes the clarity of heart as well as the mind. In other words the Lotus flower represents strength, good luck, long life as well as honor and respect. Some scholars have even talked of the lotus flower being a universal representation of the spiritual presence in human


Let’s examine the word “tattoo”.

“The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means “to mark”. Not too long ago in the U.S., tattoos were considered taboo and were frowned upon by the majority of society. They were typically found on bikers, ex-convicts, and what most considered the black sheep of society. Throughout world history, they have been done as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, signs of religious and spiritual devotion, marks of fertility, punishment, as the mark of an outcast, slave and conflict, etc. They have been used to brand Jews in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Sailors from Europe used to have the picture of Christ tattooed on their backs for protection from flogging since it was considered a crime to defile Christ’s image. These days, they are applied more for cosmetic and aesthetic use and to show their affiliation with a certain group (i.e. gangs, fraternities). For others, it’s simply a form of self-expression. “

You can read more info. on the history of tattoos here.

There’s also a very good documentary on tattoos. It’s called “Ancient Ink “and is about 90 minutes long. In this documentary you follow the host as he learns about the various techniques and traditions of the tattoo and testing them on his own body we go all the way from the Maori of New Zealand to Hawaii to the yakuzas of Japan to a high-security penitentiary in Phoenix, Arizona to a sideshow museum in North Carolina. All these different facets of life the tattoo touched on (from the criminal underworld of Yokohama to the native traditions of Hawaii) are reasonably explained and will provide excellent starting threads for anyone wishing to dug deeper in the history of body painting. They show it from time to time on the history channel.

Are you inked? If so, what is the image and what does it mean to you?

Post Title → "MY MILKSHAKE BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD"

COCKTAILS AND FLOWERS FOR EVERYONE....IT'S FRIDAY!!

Happy Friday Beautifuls!

I hope that all has been well w/you on this week. It has for me, outside of feeling a bit funky earlier this week. I attribute it to some stuff I shouldn't have eaten. A few smoothies and workouts later, and I'm better. =)

I am so lookin' forward to this weekend. After work (Yes, I'm blogging at work. Lol.), I plan on hitting up the movie "Wolverine" w/my brother. It's my treat for his birthday and both of us are looking forward to it. Saturday's Hatha yoga class was cancelled. DARN! So I hope to find one somewhere else. If not, I'll have to see if I can get to it on Sunday. I cannot express to you how great yoga is for the body and mind. I was so relaxed afterwards but on a much deeper level. I mean so much so that upon doing my taxes and discovering I owed $1500, I was okay. It just was. I also have to hit up Whole Foods. Momma needs some groceries. I've got some smoothies to make and drink. =)

What are you up to this weekend?.. I hope somewhere in it you find or make time to do something for you.

Much Love,
CO

Post Title → COCKTAILS AND FLOWERS FOR EVERYONE....IT'S FRIDAY!!

TWEET ME...IF YOU PLEASE

Hi Beautifuls!

I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend! It's a little hot in the "A". I believe our high is around 85. The sun is out full-blast. It's a beautiful day, however I must admit that I miss that cool breeze. I hope that the weather is lovely wherever you are. =)

I have a quick confession to make... I've been on Twitter for awhile now (shockingly since September) but honestly was not sure whether I would stay with it or give it up. It seemed a bit much to constantly type in random things. I suppose my concern was not fully being present in daily life if I continued with Twitter. However, I think I've figured out the best way to roll with it. Not quite sure I fully understand what I'm doing buuuuuut... if you're really interested in my daily goingon's and observations, follow me on Twitter.

Peace Out....
CO

Post Title → TWEET ME...IF YOU PLEASE

I'VE BEEN TAGGED: GET TO KNOW ME!!

Hi Beautifuls!

I was being straight-up lazy this week and was not gonna post today until I saw that the lovely Urbancurlz tagged me. Before I get into it, I just want to say ,"Hello!" and send smooches to my new subscribers and followers. Y'all keep me going. That being said, you may want to check the bottom of this post. Hopefully, I can get around to adding to my blogroll this weekend.


So here goes....

What's your current obsession?
getting a handle on incorporating more raw foods and smoothies into my diet

What's your must have fashion need?
a bright bag

What are you wearing right now?
white top w/cap sleeves, grey slacks, brown sling-backs, solid red satchel purse, silver braided hoops, and a silver, azul-beaded (Southwestern-stylish) cross. Topped w/a red trench. (my fav get-up for work)

What's your favorite food?
latin

What do you do for fun?
Hang out with my fly friends

What made today special?
My daughter said “I love you” when she got out of the car to get on the bus

What would you like to learn to do?
design kitchens/homes

What's the last thing you bought?
some marshmallow root, Vita-Blend tea, & Peace Tea from Mountain Rose herbs

What are you listening/watching right now?
V103 radio station

What's your favorite weather?
warm & sunny w/a slightly cool breeze

What's your one goal in life?
to be the woman God intended me to be

What do you think of the person that tagged you?
FAB-U-LOUS!!!

If you can have a house totally paid for, what would it look like?
It would be an eco-friendly, small,stylish & cozy 2 to 3 bedroom w/an open layout, a bangin’ kitchen, dark hardwood floors, a hellified closet and a couple of nice bathrooms. It would have a modern but warm eclectic feel to it. Oh, it would also have a back yard that could hold a nice organic garden.

What would you like to have in your hands right now?
A rack of clothes

If you can swap lives with anyone in the world for one day who would it be and why?
Michelle Obama! I really admire and respect her. She’s intelligent, classy, and stylish.

If you can go anywhere in the world for the next hour where would you go?
Belize

What language would you like to learn?
Espanol

What do you look for in a friend?
Respectful of all people, honest, and believes in expanding/improving themselves and enjoys culture, music, shopping and fun times.

Who do you want to meet in person?
President Obama

What's your favorite type of music?
R&B

What's your dream job?
Owner of a natural-health pavilion which would include an organic grocery store, yoga/pilates studio, offer health-related courses and services w/an organic café.

Do you admire anyone's style?
Keri Washington, Michelle Obama, Beyonce (only when not performing), Tracee Ellis Ross

Describe your personal style?
Classic w/a touch of fly or funk. If it helps, I enjoy shopping at the Limited, Banana Republic, Loehman’s, and especially small boutiques. Major department stores are cool, too.

What's your favorite t.v show?
This is a hard one.. Fringe, The Game, Heroes, Bones and when I can catch them What Not to Wear, Divine Design, House Hunters and Find Your Style to name a few. I know..I need to cut down.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Oreo, yes sir.

What's your favorite makeup brand?
I like Iman and Mac, but honestly need to up my makeup game. I plan on getting a makeover soon.

What's your all time favorite perfume?
I don't wear perfume.

What's you fondest childhood memory?
Road trips

What would you do w/a major lottery winning?
Add my child to the list of enviable trust-fund babies. Buy the home I want and have it designed just how I like it. Take care of my mother’s home/bills. Travel to countries in Asia, Africa and South America. And of course, take some shopping trips to Italy, New York, & France. Start a philanthropic organization. And become a professional student. Lol.

Rules:
1.)Respond: answer the questions on your blog.
2.)Replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
3.)Tag eight other people


I’m tagging…

Fleurtzy (Textured Playground)
KCurly (Newly Natural)
Ingrid (Raw Epicurean)
Alicia (InstantVintage)
Gem (The GeminiLife)
Luvbenet (Luvbenet’s Coily World)
BlueNaturalMikey (Natural Obsession)
Laquita (AllNaptural)

Post Title → I'VE BEEN TAGGED: GET TO KNOW ME!!

WORLD NATURAL HAIR HEALTH & BEAUTY SHOW

Hi Beautifuls!

I couldn't wait to share my experience at the World Natural Hair Show. I had a wonderful time! The vibe, the people, the vendors, the performers were all very nice, informative, and friendly. And yes, there were some great deals. =) (PJ creepin' out). The celebration of beautiful natural hair was everywhere!



Many vendors were there. Some well known, others breaking out on the scene. But all offered products geared toward managing & styling natural hair. The lovely Tito & Miko from Miss Jessie's hair products were there in full effect. They were gracious enough to pose for a photo. Their booth stayed packed & busy. They were selling their products for half price. So, of course, I snagged a jar of Curly Meringue.



Not big on Miss Jessie's?.... Well, another constant bustling booth was Jane Carter Solutions. As busy as she was Ms. Carter didn't think it too much to take time out and strike a pose w/me. Very down to earth and helpful as to the benefits and how to use her all-natural products. I bought two full-size bottles of leave-in for $5...a piece. (PJ is on a roll now!)



And I met the lovely and highly informative hair blogger, Curlynikki. She's just as sweet as her blog. And as you can see, her hair was on point as usual.


And here are some random shots that I took. It really was a wonderful event. I look forward to next year's being even bigger and better.









**Updated/corrected post. My apologies but I had to delete some misinformation that I received. Again I do apologize for this and will take full responsibility for it. While it is not normal for me to simply slap information up on this blog, in my defense I am only human. Just be sure that from here on it out, I will be absolutely sure to thoroughly verify/research any information given to me.**

Peace

Post Title → WORLD NATURAL HAIR HEALTH & BEAUTY SHOW

O.M.G.!!...I WON!! I WON!!

Hi Beautifuls!

I honestly was not gonna post today because I had such a horrible morning. Horrible meaning I was highly pissed and in tears! From a late homework night, to bad traffic, to a conflict with a franchise owner who refused to admit their wrong-doing. Now, put that on top of events that had already occurred and current events and.... What can I say?... it was pretty much a suckey morning.

Anyhoo, after getting past that I decided to peruse my lists of blogs. After reading Chicoro's inspirational (and much needed) post I caught eye of Newly Natural's blog entitled, "You Were Born to WIN, Cheris"! I thought, "Am I misreading things?..Is there another Cheris?" etc, etc.. So, I read the post here and see my photos and needless to say, my day has been made! Oh my, God! The universe is back in balance! (smile)

I honestly don't think that I could speak on today's occurrences better than Chicoro. She hit the nail on the head. It's a great read. Check it out here!

Kcurly, I thank you again for the opportunity given to win a gift card and for such a great hair blog!

**UPDATE ON JUICE FAST**
I began the juices this morning and I honestly wanted to stop and get a egg/cheese biscuit. Now keep in mind that I hadn't wanted one of those in a while. So I began to think, "Am I really hungry?". My answer was and still is "No". It was all in my thinking. I'm so used to putting food in my mouth that my mind was pushing me to get some food out of habit. And no, I'm still not hungry. Just juicing and drinking clean water. I will continue this detox through tomorrow. I'll be sure to keep you all posted.


Peace and Blessings,
ChocolateOrchid

Post Title → O.M.G.!!...I WON!! I WON!!

MISS J. BACK IN THE "A"

For all you Miss Jessie's fan's who happen to be or will be in Atlanta for the World Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Show 2009. They will be in attendance. The show will be going on April 4- 5, 2009.

I'll be there, will you?....

Post Title → MISS J. BACK IN THE "A"